Martin Amidu accuses OSP of bribery

• Posted on December 14, 2023December 14, 2023
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has made serious allegations against his successor, Kissi Agyebeng, accusing him of corruption, bribery, and nepotism.

Amidu, who resigned from his position in November 2020, released a 15-page statement detailing his allegations.

He claims to have received information and intelligence from informants and the media that Agyebeng and his associates were demanding and receiving bribes from suspects under investigation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

According to Amidu, some of these suspects were either relatives, friends, or former clients of Agyebeng or his staff. He also alleged that certain cases were suppressed or delayed due to these connections.

Amidu also questioned the procurement of over 50 vehicles by the OSP, some of which were allegedly involved in an accident on the Tema Motorway.

He stated that at the time of procurement, the OSP did not have an operational procurement entity and there was no public announcement of any donation or grant for these vehicles.

This raised suspicions of violations of the procurement law and approval from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).

Additionally, Amidu accused Agyebeng of procuring a fleet of vehicles, including pickups, from a car rental company belonging to his friend or associated with his friend, who is also an OSP employee, without going through a competitive bidding process or PPA approval.

He also claimed that Agyebeng rented or purchased a Prado four-wheel drive for the Chief Accountant of the OSP, who is a signatory to the OSP accounts, without providing the same opportunity to other heads of departments.

Amidu further alleged that Agyebeng frequently traveled abroad on public funds without notifying his deputy or the public. He claimed that Agyebeng even traveled with orderlies who had no security functions to perform on these trips and was accompanied by his friends on some of them, at their own expense.

Amidu raised these issues in response to Agyebeng’s invitation to the public to support the OSP’s work.

He emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability in order to protect the integrity and independence of the OSP. Amidu called for a media briefing to address the allegations and provide clarity on these matters.

By Vincent Kubi